ing his best to
persuade him, and talking round the matter for half an hour, Dove said
he did not of course wish to press anyone against his will, and
departed to disturb other people.

Maurice had also to stand fire from Madeleine; for she had counted on
his inviting her. She was first incredulous, then offended, at his
refusal: and she pooh-poohed his strongest argument--that he did not
own a dress-suit. If that was all, she knew a shop in the BRUHL, where
such things could be hired for a song.

Maurice now thought the matter closed. Not many days later, however,
Dove appeared again, with a crestfallen air. He had still over a dozen
tickets on his hands, and, at the low price fixed, unless all were
sold, the expenses of the evening would not be covered. In order to get
rid of him, Maurice bought a ticket, on the condition that he was not
expected to use it, and also suggested some fresh people Dove might
try; so that the latter went off with renewed courage on his
disagreeable errand.

Maurice mentioned the incident to Louise that evening, as he mentioned
any trifle he thought might interest her. He sat on the edge of his
chair, and did not mean to stay; for he had found her on the sofa with
a headache.

So far, she had listened to him with scant attention; but at this, she
raised her eyebrows.

"Then you don't care for dancing?"--she could hardly believe it.

He repeated the words he had used to Dove.

She smiled faintly, looking beyond him, at a sombre patch of sky.

"I should think not. If it were me!----" She raised her hand, and
considered her fingers.

"If it were you?--yes?"

But she did not continue.

It had been almost a spring day: that, no doubt, accounted for her
headache. Maurice made a movement to rise. But Louise turned quickly on
her side, and, in her own intense way, said: "Listen. You have the
ticket, you say? Use it, and take me with you. Will you?"

He smiled as at the whim of a child. But she was in earnest.

"Will you?"

"No, of course not."

He tempered his answer with the same smile. But she was not pleased--he
saw that. Her nostrils tightened, and then, dilated, as they had a way
of doing when she was annoyed. For some time after, she did not speak.

But the very next day, when he was remonstrating with her over some
small duty which she had no inclination to perform, she turned on him
with an unreasonable irritation. "You only want me to do disagreeable
things. Anything